Hello gang,

My 70 has been sitting for a few months and its now time to get it back on the road. It has been fired up at least once a week for the last month or so but not driven (turned on and brought up to operating temp). Today I gave it a tune up. New plugs, wires, points/condenser, cap, rotor, the works. While I was removing the wires I notice that the wire to spark plug #1 was not where it was supposed to be on the distributor cap. It was actually miss positioned two places counter clock wise on the cap which also miss placed the rest. (Last tune up was not done by me....) I also noticed that the distributor was turned clock wise (when facing from the front) such that the vacuum advance was almost up against the firewall.

I placed all the new parts on and put the wires in the correct positions on the cap. Now I can’t seem to find the correct position the distributor needs to be to get it lit!

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on where to position the distributor so I can get it running to set timing? I’ve already ran the battery dead once trying to get it going. It’s currently on the charger.

Thanks,

Josh,

#1 spark plug wire can really be anyplace you want it to be. For the sake of your question I would bring the engine to TDC. remove the drivers side valve cover, if both valves on number 1 is closed remove and set the distrubutor to fire on #6. Remember to index the oil pump shaft to make installing the dist easier.

Will the position of the #1 wire on the cap have an affect on the position of the distributer at correct timing? I meen, if I had it running with the correct timing, then shut it down and shifted the plugs on the cap one position over, would the car still be in correct time?
Being a novice mechanic, the removal of the distributor is quite intimadating. Is there any particular position of the distributor where I can start from to get the car running easiest? I remember the first time I got the car and did the first tune up it took for ever, moving the distributor back and forth, to get it running.

Thanks for the info...

Yes. Timing is the relationship between the position of the piston, the rotor, and the distributor terminal. When you moved the wires you changed your timing (and by a bunch). Someone has installed your distributor way off and just moved the wires to compensate. When you look at the pictures of wire position in a manual they're assuming that the distributor is in the right position.

Thanks for the info. Would I be better off trying to put the wires where they were, or correct the position of the distributor? Will putting the wires where they where cause any damage? What goes into correctly re-positioning the distributor?

Also, could the distributor be in the correct position with regards to #1 cylinder but due to the incorrectly placed the wires on the cap, the "tuner" had to rotate the distributor clear around so that the vacuum advance is up near the firewall? If so, then the distributor would need to be rotated back such that the vacuum advance is pointing more to the front of the car. This then brings me back to my original question, where would be a good position to initially place the distributor to get the car to fire up?


Id rather it be right than Mickey Moused. But if the correct repair is above my skill or equipment, then Mickey Moused will have to do till I get it to a mechanic.


Thanks again..